Kabul, Sep 11 (AP) More than 250 foreign nationals have left Afghanistan in the past three days, says Zalmay Khalilzad, Washington's special envoy and the architect of an often criticised deal with the Taliban.

The deal signed last year provided for the safe withdrawal of U.S and NATO troops but say his critics was heavily weighted in favor of the hardline-Islamic movement.

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In a series of tweets Khalilzad praised both the Middle Eastern State of Qatar, whose national airline carried out the flights and the “Taliban's cooperation in this important effort,” for the recent departure of foreign nationals from Afghanistan.

“We will continue to engage the government of Qatar, the Taliban, and others to ensure the safe passage of our citizens, other foreign nationals, and Afghans that want to leave,” Khalilzad tweeted.

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However, hundreds of Afghans, including U.S. citizens and green card holders, remain stranded in northern Afghanistan's Mazar-e-Sharif waiting to be evacuated but stopped by Taliban rulers demanding travel documents. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)